Can My 10 Month Old Have Eggs?

Updated on
September 01, 2008

S.S.
asks from
Fleming Island, FL
on August 27, 2008

16
answers

My son has been refusing his bottle, so two days ago, his pediatrician started him on whole milk in a sippy cup. Can I try him on eggs now, or do I need to wait until he's atleast a year old? Also, can he have the entire egg, or is he supposed to have the white part or the yellow part only?

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So What Happened?

Thank all of you for you wonderful responses. I actually tried him on an egg this morning, the whole egg, and he didn't even like it. Go figure!!! He took a few bites, and then he wasn't interested anymore.

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M.O.

answers from
Orlando
on
August 28, 2008

I don't know what a doctor would say but I gave my daughter eggs at 9 months. She refused to let me feed her so she started eating table food. She had 10 teeth by then so she could chew pretty well. I would make her scrammbled eggs and she loved them.

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K.W.

answers from
Orlando
on
August 28, 2008

Do you have food allergies that run in your family? If so I would wait, if not I would go ahead and try. I know the white of the egg is a common allergy, so you can start with yolks...if there is no problem, I would move him to whites without worrying--just check for signs of allergies and wait 2 days between introducing new foods so if he does have a reaction, you know what it is he is reacting to.

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S.M.

answers from
Miami
on
August 28, 2008

Hi, Stef. Well, typically, we don't start kids on solid foods by giving them eggs. Many people are allergic to eggs, and a baby's digestive system is sooooo sensitive that starting him out too young on foods like eggs can actually CAUSE an allergic reaction that the child might not have if he starts eating it when his system is a little more developed, say when he is well over a year old.

Is your child eating other solid foods right now? If you haven't started him yet, the best ones to start with are things like bananas or rice cereal. Then you can move on to other strained fruits and vegetables, and finally strained meats. Introduce only one new food per week or 10-day period to make sure you know which foods to avoid if he has a bad reaction to something.

If you are asking about eggs because you are worried about giving him enough protein, then don't worry. Milk has a good amount of protein all by itself. Babies are built to get most of their nutrition from milk for the first year of life. If your child is graduating from formula to whole milk, though, it could be time to introduce a gentle solid like rice cereal because regular whole milk will not keep him full for very long, and he could end up eating too much because he is hungry too often. I would get some more advice from the pediatrician who advised you about the whole milk.

You can also give the baby formula from a sippy cup, although it will be harder to get through the little spout. There are also transitional formulas that are not as thick as baby formula but are heavier than plain whole milk and contain more nutrients.

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E.D.

answers from
Daytona Beach
on
August 28, 2008

I would check with your pediatrician, but I think as long as you don't have a history of allergies in your family then it's probably okay. You're supposed to only give them the yolk part first, then later the whites. I gave them to my daughter around a year and it was fine. She is 2 now and loves scrambled eggs and hard boiled eggs.

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D.W.

answers from
Gainesville
on
August 27, 2008

Here is some good info on eggs for the little ones and then, based on your family history, you can make a decision is eggs are right for your little man right now: The yolk is less likely to cause a reaction so best to start with yolk only and then once they are over a year you can add the white also.

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N.G.

answers from
Miami
on
August 28, 2008

Hi,

I'll tell you that w/my 2 kids after they started eating the baby food, and they wanted to try anything i let them. I just watched them to make sure they didn't have a reaction. you let them have just a little just to see how it goes.

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A.M.

answers from
Boca Raton
on
September 01, 2008

My youngest, now 13 months old, had a tiny bit of her big sister's pound cake when she was about 10 months old and within a few hours broke out in terrible hives, became VERY lethargic and threw up. Though breastfed for most of her meals, she was eating baby foods and crackers, but this was her very first food item with egg in it. The package also said that the item was made in a plant where nuts were packaged...so that could have been another cause for the allergy.

I'm kind of glad that we found out sooner than later...for her 1 yr old bday we gave her jello instead of cake/cupcakes.

She has since had a bit of a muffin and though she did not break out in hives she did become VERY lethargic just a few minutes after eating it.

Food allergies are common, but most are outgrown as they grow. The best advice I can give is to introduce one food at a time over a period of 3-5 days to know for sure what the cause of an allergy was should it appear. Knowing the signs to look for is also a good idea.

PS - there are no food allergies in our families other than my first daughter breaking out in small rashes with apple juice and strawberries...but she's fine now.

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D.G.

answers from
Miami
on
August 27, 2008

My doctor recommended eggs for my daughter at 1 but if he is doing good with the milk I don't see why not the egg. Especially if mom and dad have no allergies to it. My 18 month old literally eats eggs everyday. We are an egg loving family but I alternate between giving her the full eggs and just egg whites. Just remember that the cholesterol is in the yolk and the protein in the whites.

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M.H.

answers from
Gainesville
on
August 27, 2008

He can have egg YOLKS at any age, but should wait until 12 months for egg WHITES because the whites contain a protein called albumin, which some people are allergic to. If, by chance, your son happens to be one of those people, the younger he is, the more severe the reaction can be. Likely, he would be fine if he ate egg whites now, but it is better to wait to be on the safe side.

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J.A.

answers from
Jacksonville
on
August 28, 2008

Hi Stef,

I am sure you will get a ton of responses to this one, so I will throw my hat in the ring too. Until ten years or so ago parents started feeding their children eggs as early as four months old. Babies all over the world ate the whole egg and lived without any detrimental side effects. While there are some foods you do need to be wary of (honey, shellfish) at this young age, eggs are innocent.

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M.O.

answers from
Orlando
on
August 28, 2008

I don't know what a doctor would say but I gave my daughter eggs at 9 months. She refused to let me feed her so she started eating table food. She had 10 teeth by then so she could chew pretty well. I would make her scrammbled eggs and she loved them.

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S.K.

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T.S.

answers from
Panama City
on
August 29, 2008

Stef,

What I understand to be true is that they should wait til they are at least a year old AND they have enough teeth to chew it up good. Eggs, especially the yolk are the number one cause of choking in adults and children alike. Be careful and make sure that when you do give them to him, you keep him under close supervision.

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T.B.

answers from
Miami
on
August 28, 2008

Every child is different so you must use your own discretion but I gave all of my children scrambled eggs (white and yolk) when they were about 8 months old. They never had a reaction to them. Personally, I would ditch the bottle. Give him his drinks in a sippy cup and don't use the bottle anymore. Like all foods, if you find a reaction, don't try it again for a few months.